Sunday

My Fitness Victory!For a long time, I focused strictly on losing weight and getting healthy. I worried about getting my workouts in and making sure I worked out no matter what. At the end of 2012, I realized that because I was working out so crazy with strange hours, other parts of my life were lacking the attention that they needed. I was waking up early in the morning and dropping my son off at my parents' house or just letting my son spend the night there. I was missing out on our life together. Well this caused me to slow down. Unfortunately, I slowed down more than I should. So I have been trying to find the balance between working out and still being a great mom. I am a single mom of a very active 9 year old boy. My son sees his father maybe 2 times a month, on a good month, so I don't have a lot of down time. I can't complain though because I have been blessed to be his buddy. We are close and do so many things together.

I am sure I would be a lot faster if I didn't have to pull someone on the skateboard!

Throughout everything that has happened in this crazy world in the last two weeks, I have finally come to the realization that I can get my workouts and spend QUALITY time with my son. Are they the hardest workouts, no, but they are better than nothing. We have been running/walking for the last two weeks, and it's truly the most perfect times I have had. We are closer than ever and we are active.

Our great walk on Runtastic!

These are the C9 Yoga Pantsfrom Target I own.

"Today's Victory" came with a walk downtown to the St. Anthony's Triathlon to cheer on the racers. When we woke up, I decided to put on my C9 yoga pants from Target and get us moving! We walked around and yelled to the runners to "stay strong" and "dig deep" and had a blast. We bought smoothies and walked back to the car still cheering on the athletes. Bryce couldn't believe all of the people watching the race. He wants to do it next year... I told him maybe we will train for the Meek and Mighty next year. I realized just how blessed I am when he gets into bed and asks if we can take a walk tomorrow too! How can this not be "Today's Victory!"I have to tell you that it wouldn't be a weekend without my Target yoga pants!!! I wish I could live in yoga pants! When it comes to being active and feeling good, C9 gear always has you covered!

What is your "fitness" victory? It doesn't have to be huge... Is there something you have changed or accomplished that has made a difference in your health?*disclosure: Target is giving me a giftcard to post about this topic, but the opinions are my own.

Tuesday

The tragedy in Boston really did a number on me. I did not run the race nor was I anywhere near Boston when it happened, but I do think I over-did it on the news coverage (this is something I tend to do.) I also found out that same day that someone who used to be a good friend ended her life. Truthfully, even writing that makes me feel guilty because I don't really know the details, but that is what I heard. Then the Texas explosion happened, and all of that put together really made me stop!

I have not felt like blogging in the last week. I have used my time to take care of my son, my house and myself. I think seeing that they caught suspect #2 (I will never use his name btw) was good closure for the news for me. I stopped watching and letting it consume my world. That helped. I went for walks and talked with my son instead of just going about our normal routine of homework, him playing outside, dinner and bed. That was huge in making life better.

This weekend, I lived a normal life. I went to a baseball game Sat. and I hung out with someone I really enjoy on Sunday, and then I got to spend a great day at Busch Gardens with my son on Monday. I guess what I am saying is I lived my life. I think sometimes I forget to do that. I hate that it takes tragedies to open my eyes sometimes, but I am glad that I got the chance to refocus.

My refocus also consisted of getting back to running often. I have struggled with committing to a distance because since I run alone, I end up stopping. I have thought a lot about it. I am going to run where I used to run and not in the neighborhood. Then I know that I will get at least 3 miles in since that is my route. I feel good about that. I want to run at least 12-15 miles a week. I am not trying to be a marathon runner, I just want to be healthy and fit. So, there you have it... my refocus plan!

What are you doing to keep your mind off all of the bad in the world? I would love your ideas! Please feel free to comment and share! Thanks.

Praying for Boston... That's all I seem to be able to do!This year is the first time I have felt connected to the running community, and it's the first time that I have had people I know running in Boston on Marathon Monday. Every time I had a break at school on Monday, I peeked at facebook to see pictures or hear updates on how people were doing. I was so excited to read tweets and posts about the excitement. Little did I know that later in the day I would searching for tweets that they were safe. I am a runner, but I am not a Boston runner. I probably never will be. I am slow, and I don't know that I will ever run a marathon, but I do know that Boston is the Super Bowl of running. It's the race runners dream of. They train and train and train to get there! And now many won't finish and many are dealing with injuries and death. I was in the car on the way home from school when I got a text from my mom to put it on Fox News because a bomb went off at the finish line in Boston. God, just typing that brings tears to my eyes again. I ran through the front door and turned the TV on. I immediately opened my laptop to read my Fitfluential, SweatPink, Polar and GirlsGoneSporty group pages. I needed to know that my friends were safe. Once I saw the news, I realized that it was the crowd that would be more affected than the runners with injuries. I thought of my son standing at the finish line of my 10K holding a "Go Mom" sign. I couldn't breathe. Since then, I have done everything I can to be with my son. I have closed the computer and walked and talked and played. I think of the man whose son died, daughter lost her leg, and wife is in serious condition, and I can't help but to hug and kiss my son and tell him I love him.

The one thing I know is that this community of runners, and if you run/jog/walk fast, you are in it, this community is strong! They are kind and friendly and helpful. But let me tell you something, YOU don't mess with this group. We have each others' backs. You will NOT stop us, rather we will run more, harder and faster! My heart is heavy, and this hurts badly! But I will run every race I planned to and maybe even some more now. Being a runner comes with a similar pride to being an american. I am so proud to be an American and so proud to see how everyone helped yesterday. Seeing people rip off their shirts to help people was tragic yet inspiring. I would hope I would be the kind of person that would do that without thinking. God Bless Boston, Runners and Americans!To my friends who are affected personally by this, I am praying for you. I am thinking of you! I love being a part of this community and feel so blessed that I was welcomed in with open arms! God Bless!

On a lighter note, I have giveaway winners!!! I didn't announce them last night bc I didn't want to celebrate anything. But tonight, we do have something to celebrate! All of the winners have been notified via email and have 48 to claim their winnings. I am announcing 3 new winners for the StickitStrong giveaway bc no one claimed them. Congrats to Shannon W. Cassie C. and Laurel C. The Dumbell necklace winner is Amy N. and the Foundation Nutrition winner is Melissa M.Last chance for the Allied Medal Display! 2 Hours left... ends tonight at midnight!

Friday

What would be more fun than running a race with my favorite person on the planet on Mother's Day? I would say, NOTHING! I am so excited to have been offered the chance for Bryce and I to start our Mother's Day Celebration with a bang! This year on Mother's Day we will be running in The Great Mother's Day Race!

I know some people would think I am crazy for wanting to run a race on a day of pampering for mommies, but I will tell you that I love nothing more than running with my son. There is time for pedicures and massages later! My son is only going to be young once!

The race is Sunday, May 12 at 9 am. You will get a Tech T-shirt, chip timing, a swag bag and an awesome memory that you and your children won't soon forget!

Strollers are welcome, and I think it would be a great thing for your child to see how active Mommy is! :)

I have really enjoyed getting my son involved with my races. It cracks me up that he now gets upset if I race without him. I am running the IronGirl 5K on Sunday and he is NOT happy! I did surprise him this morning with news that we would be running this! He was thrilled.

I have a discount code for you! TBBLOG is good for 10% off the race entry through Active.com

The winners of the Shubeez have been chosen and notified. If the prizes aren't claimed in 48 hours, new winners will be chosen! The winners of the 26.2 are Laurel Cedarblade and Maureen.
And the 13.1 goes to Dawn Rushing.

Disclosure: All of the giveaways are donations. All opinions are my own.

Tuesday

And the giveaways keep coming!

Do you have a bunch of medals hanging around your house haphazardly? I have only been racing for a little over a year, but now that I have one half marathon under my belt and one to come this weekend, I decided that I needed a medal display. I really wanted it to be personal for me and my journey. I contacted Allied Medal Displays and asked them if they would be interested in being a part of this Giveaway Extravaganza that I am having celebrating all of you following my journey. Joe Exe immediately contacted me back and said he would love to give me one and allow me to give one away to you! Wow! I was so excited!!! The best part about Allied Medal Displays is that they allowed me to do a custom order. So of course, I asked for Mindy's Fitness Journey. I couldn't decide which running picture to put on it.Joe said that if I had a logo he could put it on there. Whoa! How cool is that! Do you see me flipping a tire? He made it seem really easy too! Wouldn't you love to create your own medal display! If you notice, I have room for a ton of medals! I know that I will be running lots of races and I will fill this up soon enough. Allied Medal Displays are really a fantastic idea, before I discovered them I had my medals hanging on a random door knobs throughout the house. I wanted something more sophisticated to display my medals on and I wanted something that would really represent me! What do you think? Don't you love it!

You don't have to be a runner to order one of these. They make them for runners, triathletes, baseball, volleyball, dancers etc... one of the other great features about these displays is that they are super easy to hang up on your wall. They come with very easy to follow instructions as well as all of the necessary items (ie. screws, nails etc) needed to hang them.Remember that the Polar Heart Rate Monitor Giveaway ends tonight at Midnight!!

The winners of the Shubeez have been chosen and notified. If the prizes aren't claimed in 48 hours, new winners will be chosen! The winners of the 26.2 are Laurel Cedarblade and Maureen.
And the 13.1 goes to Dawn Rushing.

Disclosure: All of the giveaways are donations. All opinions are my own.

Monday

Have you joined this DietBet yet? I am seriously amazed that it is over $13,000 and still growing. Here's how it works: (this is from the DietBet site)

DietBet is a game where you've got 4 weeks to lose 4% of your starting weight. To begin, everyone puts money into the pot. After four weeks, whoever's hit their 4% goal is a winner and splits the pot

HOW WE PREVENT CHEATING

We have a photo review process in which players submit proof of their initial and final weights to our team of Referees. We also have algorithms that detect unusual activity within a game or across games and use an auditing system where some players may be required to submit extra proof of their weight loss using: a Skype weigh-in with one of our Referees, a video weigh-in, or an in-person weigh-in at a location pre-approved by DietBet, such as a Walgreens or CVS clinic. If requested, you will have to submit further proof of your weight within 24 hours. Since weights fluctuate naturally, we allow up to 1% of your final weight as variance. Failure to comply will result in disqualification and forfeiture of your winnings and initial bet. You may also be banned from playing again and subject to other penalties.

So that's the "skinny" on it.... go get signed up!!! Let's make this month count!

Sunday

I have had more fun this weekend checking the amount in the DietBet. Every time I look at it, it goes up! We all know that we are all going to lose weight, right? Well, why not make MONEY while we do!!! Join my DietBet for $25, and let's lose at least 4% of our weight and win! The winners will be entered in for a drawing to win a Polar Heart Rate Monitor too! BONUS :) So what are you waiting for!!! Join the DietBet tonight! It starts tomorrow. If you are unable to join right now, you can join late. Don't fret! Join DIETBET Here!!!Giveaways Galore, continued!

I have had more fun with these giveaways! I hope you all are enjoying the fun! Before I give you the details about my next giveaway, I want to congratulate Holly Rhoades Johnson! She is the winner of the Diet-to-Go meals! Yay!

As you know, I am not someone who is constantly talking about which protein powders I use. One night at a twitter chat with Foundation Nutrition and the Mom Power Team, I asked a simple question. I felt like it was a really dumb question, but I wanted to know. I wanted to know if someone like me, someone who isn't training for competitions or anything like that needs protein. Trevor from Foundation Nutrition was quick to answer that YES, I do. He told me that my body needs protein to recover from my workouts. I am sure it was a lot more detailed than that, but then he offered to send me some samples to try. When I finish my runs or workouts, I don't typically eat anything right away. I tried MyoFusion probiotic series, vanilla flavored. I was really impressed with the taste! It was really good. I just mixed it with water too. Nothing fancy because I don't do fancy. It was easy to drink and I did feel better. I even felt like I had more energy.

Saturday

It's day 7 of my 5,000 facebook likes celebration! I am so excited to be sharing some of my favorite fitness items with you. Today is the last day to enter the week of healthy foods from Diet-to-Go. Make sure you enter below before Midnight tonight (Saturday.) The Polar Heart Rate Monitor has another week left, so make sure you are tweeting every day! The Shubeez and Stickitstrong are still going too!

Before we get into the giveaways, I want to remind you of the DietBet that I am running. Our pot is over $6000. It begins Monday, so there is still time to join. All you have to do is lose 4% of your body weight in 28 days. That is usually no more than 8-10 lbs. depending on your weight. Once you win, you will split the pot with the other winners. The winners are eligible to win a Polar Heart Rate monitor from me as well. I will do the drawing after the winners are announced. Click on the DietBet link here and check it out!

Today, I want to tell you about something I have just received.Fit Miss... and her homemade jewelry!

I was contacted by Tiffany from Fit Miss. She wanted to share with me her love of fitness and her beautiful homemade fitness jewelry. She aspires to inspire others.
Well, she inspired me. Tiffany is a stay at home mother of 3 boys. She loves fitness and was inspired to make fitness jewelry. I am so excited to be sharing it with you. She has an etsy store called Fit Miss Fitness. You have to go check it out.

I was lucky enough to try out the dumbell necklace on a black cord. It's precious!!! I love it! I know you will too. Tiffany has agreed to share another one with you all. All you have to do is enter below! If you don't win, don't worry. These necklaces and bracelets are very reasonably priced at $12 for the dumbell necklace.

Wednesday

We have all driven behind the "yuppie" family that has their stick figures on the back window, and I will be honest with you, it's cute. But now there is something that takes that to a whole new level! I found the company StickitStrong who created stick figures for your windows that are WAY cooler!!! When I found these, I went crazy!!! I asked Bryce which one he wanted, and he choose the weight lifter. He has been flipping tires with me and really wants to try crossfit. I knew that I wanted the jump rope because I have been the queen of the jump rope lately.

I have struggled with the idea of putting the cute yuppie family on my car because I didn't want to advertise that I am a single mom. With StickitStrong, I knew I could put them on and it would be great since I chose the kid stickers. I love them.

How could I not! They are precious! There are a bunch to choose from! They have offered 3 (YES THREE!!!) decals for three of my readers! So awesome! Enter below!a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have you signed up for the DietBet yet?
Read about it here! You can win money and lose weight! And one of the winners will win a Polar Heart Rate Monitor!
The pot is growing fast! The pot is over $2200!!!

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DISCLAIMER

I am not a registered dietitian and do not have any official training, certifications, or degrees in nutrition or fitness. My blog is simply a documentation of my life. The views I express are mine alone, based on my own experiences, and should not be taken as medical advice. Always talk to your doctor or a trained professional before starting a new diet or fitness plan.